Causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender
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Summary
Anyone who, knowing or having reason to believe an offence was committed, destroys or hides evidence or gives false information to protect the offender is punishable. Punishment depends on how serious the original offence is: if it is punishable with death, up to seven years and fine; if with life or up to ten years, up to three years and fine; for lesser offences, up to one‑fourth of the maximum imprisonment for that offence, or fine, or both.
Example
Priya learns that Rohan has murdered Z and helps hide the body to protect him. Because murder can be punishable with death, Priya can be imprisoned for up to seven years and also fined under this rule.
Bare Act
Enacted textWhoever, knowing or having reason to believe that an offence has been committed, causes any evidence of the commission of that offence to disappear, with the intention of screening the offender from legal punishment, or with that intention gives any information respecting the offence which he knows or believes to be false shall
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(a) if the offence which he knows or believes to have been committed is punishable with death be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to fine;
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(b) if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment which may extend to ten years, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, and shall also be liable to fine;
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(c) if the offence is punishable with imprisonment for any term not extending to ten years, be punished with imprisonment of the description provided for the offence, for a term which may extend to one-fourth part of the longest term of the imprisonment provided for the offence, or with fine, or with both.
Illustration
A, knowing that B has murdered Z, assists B to hide the body with the intention of screening B from punishment. A is liable to imprisonment of either description for seven years, and also to fine.
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